Method and apparatus for data protection in memory devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method for efficiently transmitting data are described. A transmitter sends data to a receiver. An encoder of the transmitter divides a received first block of data into multiple sub-blocks. The encoder selects a portion of each sub-block to compare to one another. A portion in a particular sub-block has a same offset and a same size as other portions of other sub-blocks. If the encoder determines the multiple portions match one another, the encoder sends, to the receiver, a second block of data corresponding to the first block of data. The second block of data has a same size as a size of the received first block of data, and the second block of data includes security data from one of multiple error correction schemes. Therefore, the second block of data provides security without increasing an amount of data to transmit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A circuit comprising:
 an interface comprising circuitry configured to receive a first block of data to transmit; 
 circuitry configured to:
 divide the first block of data into a first plurality of sub-blocks of data; 
 generate a second block of data comprising a sub-block of data for each of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data, wherein the second block of data:
 includes a sub-block of data that does not include at least a portion of data of a corresponding sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks, responsive to the portion of data matching a portion of data in another sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data; 
 comprises security data generated using an error correction scheme; and 
 has a size that is no greater than a size of the first block of data. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second block of data comprises a same number of sub-blocks as the first block of data. 
     
     
       3. The circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the error correction scheme generates code words with a size equal to a size of a sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks. 
     
     
       4. The circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second block of data has a same size as the first block of data. 
     
     
       5. The circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 generate a third block of data by removing, from the first block of data, one or more portions that match one another; 
 determine a given size by dividing a size of the third block of data by a number of the plurality of sub-blocks; and 
 select the error correction scheme from a plurality of error correction schemes based at least in part on a determination that the given size matches a data input size of the error correction scheme. 
 
     
     
       6. The circuit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 select the error correction scheme based at least in part on the size of the second block of data less a size of the security data; and 
 use the error correction scheme to generate security data to include in the second block of data. 
 
     
     
       7. The circuit as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to insert an indication in metadata of the second block of data specifying the error correction scheme. 
     
     
       8. The circuit as recited in  claim 1 , based at least in part on a determination that no portions of the first plurality of sub-blocks match one another, generate a third block of data corresponding to the first block of data, wherein the third block of data has a larger size than a size of the first block of data. 
     
     
       9. A method comprising:
 receiving, by an interface, a first block of data to transmit; 
 dividing, by a control unit, the first block of data into a first plurality of sub-blocks of data; 
 generating, by the control unit, a second block of data corresponding to the first block of data, wherein the second block of data:
 includes a sub-block of data that does not include at least a portion of data of a corresponding sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks, responsive to the portion of data matching a portion of data in another sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data; 
 comprises security data generated using an error correction scheme; and 
 has a size that is no greater than the first block of data. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising generating the second block of data with a same number of sub-blocks as the first block of data. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising generating the second block of data to have a same size as the first block of data. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising:
 generating a third block of data by removing, from the first block of data, one or more portions of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data that match one another; 
 determining a given size by dividing a size of the third block of data by a number of the plurality of sub-blocks; and 
 selecting the error correction scheme from a plurality of error correction schemes based at least in part on a determination that the given size matches a data input size of the error correction scheme. 
 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising:
 selecting the error correction scheme from a plurality of error correction schemes based at least upon the size of the second block of data less a size of the security data; and 
 using the error correction scheme to generate security data to include in the second block of data. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising inserting an indication in metadata of the second block of data specifying the error correction scheme. 
     
     
       15. The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein, in response to determining that no portions of first plurality of sub-blocks of data match one another, generating a third block of data corresponding to the first block of data, wherein the third block of data has a larger size than a size of the first block of data. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of transmitters comprising circuitry configured to send blocks of data; 
 a plurality of receivers comprising circuitry configured to receive blocks of data; 
 wherein one or more of the plurality of transmitters comprises an encoder; 
 wherein the encoder comprising circuitry comprises:
 an interface configured to receive a first block of data to transmit; 
 an error correction unit comprising circuitry configured to support a plurality of error correction schemes, each scheme is configured to generate security data corresponding to data to transmit; and 
 a control unit comprising circuitry configured to:
 divide the first block of data into a first plurality of sub-blocks of data; 
 generate a second block of data comprising a sub-block of data for each of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data, wherein the second block of data:
 includes a sub-block of data that does not include at least a portion of data of a corresponding sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks, responsive to the portion of data matching a portion of data in another sub-block of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data; 
 comprises security data generated by the control unit using an error correction scheme; and 
 has a size that is no greater than the first block of data. 
 
 
 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the second block of data comprises a same number of sub-blocks as the first block of data. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the second block of data has a same size as the first block of data. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 generate a third block of data by removing, from the first block, one or more portions of the first plurality of sub-blocks of data match one another; 
 determine a given size by dividing a size of the third block of data by a number of the plurality of sub-blocks; and 
 select a given error correction scheme of the plurality of error correction schemes based at least in part on a determination that the given size matches a data input size of the given error correction scheme. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 select a given error correction scheme of the plurality of error correction schemes based at least in part on the size of the second block of data less a size of the security data; and 
 use the given error correction scheme to generate security data to include in the second block of data.